Farming 21st Century Style

Modern farms, even small family farms, are part of the huge agribusiness economic machine. Agriculture crosses all political boundaries and agricultural commodities make up a huge part of the world economy. The efficiency of modern agriculture is fueled by advances made by those working in the science fields, as well as the chemical, medical, financial, engineering and construction fields.

Farming is one of the answers to the energy crisis. Ethanol has been deemed a contributor to greenhouse gasses by some sources. Ethanol is only one of the first mass-produced renewable fuels. It was explored primarily for use with existing combustion engines as a way for farmers to power their own equipment without fossil fuels. Other fuels are being developed that are renewable and ecologically sound.

Thanks to agricultural science, environmentally friendly biomass uses are being developed to produce clean electricity, heat sources and many products and materials such as new plastics that are biodegradable. Students of agriculture are planning on increasingly efficient use of our natural resources, in ways that are sustainable and renewable and that will diminish or even reverse our carbon footprints.

It is up to farmers to feed the world. It is estimated that by 2050 more than 80% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. Agriculture is already working for this kind of future. Agricultural engineering schools are planning “Vertical Farms” that can be built like skyscrapers in cities and provide local sustainable ecosystems to grow crops. This type of farming will be able to develop abandoned urban areas into productive, job producing places.

There will be no weather related crop failures. It will utilize organic methods along with hydroponic farming, recycling water and plant waste and will produce foods without using fossil fuels for tractors or food transportation.